Roger Federer met his wife, Mirka, long before his first major singles win. Both tennis players, the couple met while representing Switzerland at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
After nine years of dating, Roger and Mirka tied the knot in 2009 and have since welcomed two sets of identical twins.
The tennis star attributed his longevity in the sport in part to Mirka’s support. “She’s been there when I had no titles and she’s still here 89 titles later, so she had a big part to play in [the win],” he reportedly told the press after winning the Australian Open in 2017. When he announced his retirement in September 2022, he thanked his wife as well.
Who is Roger Federer’s wife? Here’s everything to know about Mirka Federer.
Mirka and Roger met at the 2000 Sydney Olympics where they were both representing Switzerland in tennis.
They began dating the same year and were married in April 2009.
The couple tied the knot in Roger’s hometown of Basel, Switzerland.
“Earlier today, in my hometown of Basel, surrounded by a small group of close friends and family,
Mirka and I got married. It was a beautiful spring day and an incredibly joyous occasion,” Roger wrote on his blog at the time.
She’s a mom
A few months after their wedding, Roger and Mirka welcomed their first babies — identical twins Charlene Riva and Myla Rose — in July 2009.
“This is the greatest day of our lives,” the tennis legend said in a statement. “Mirka, Myla and Charlene are all healthy and doing very well.”
In 2014, they welcomed another set of identical twins, boys Leo and Lenny.
“Having kids and being a father now and being married enhances everything,” Roger once told ESPN.
She supports Roger at his matches
The mom of four regularly brings their children to Roger’s matches. When Roger won Wimbledon in 2017, Mirka and both sets of twins were in the stands cheering him on.
“I looked up in the stands and saw my kids … then it started to sink in that I was a Wimbledon Champion for real,” Federer told Today following the win.
He continued, “I saw the boys for the first time, and [seeing] them coming out to centre court and knowing how much centre court means to me, and seeing them like not knowing what’s going on. And then the girls were there too and my wife was emotional. It just really hit me.”
In July 2023, Women’s Wear Daily reported that Mirka and Roger attended Wimbledon as spectators together. The pair sat next to Kate Middleton in the royal box as they watched a women’s singles match between Shelby Rogers of U.S. and Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan.
Roger thanked her in his retirement announcement
When Roger announced his “bittersweet decision” to retire in September 2022, he thanked his wife for her decades of support.
“She has warmed me up before finals, watched countless matches even while over 8-months pregnant and has endured my goofy side on the road with my team for over 20 years,” he said in a video he shared on social media.
The tennis player also gave a shout-out to their children, saying, “I also want to thank my four wonderful children for supporting me, always eager to explore new places and creating new memories along the way. Seeing my family cheering me on from the stands is a feeling I will cherish forever.”
She’s a former tennis pro
The former tennis pro has supported Roger’s philanthropic pursuits throughout their relationship. In 2020, the couple donated more than $1 million to Swiss families impacted by COVID-19.
“These are challenging times for everyone and nobody should be left behind,” Roger wrote in an Instagram caption announcing the donation.
The couple has also donated more than $1 million toward education in Africa through the Roger Federer Foundation. At the time of the donation, Roger said he hoped it would set the stage for his daughters to continue the couple’s philanthropy work when they became adults.
“I definitely want to show them that this world exists as well,” he elaborated. “There’s no way around it for them because I’ll be traveling.”
Roger has been open about his desire to remain humble despite being one of the world’s top tennis pros and according to him, Mirka has a lot to do with helping him set his priorities.
“Never forget your roots, remember how important family is, your friends are and take care of them. You want them to take care of you too when you’re not doing so well,” Roger said.
According to the Grand Slam winner, Mirka’s also responsible for looking after his style. After posting a throwback photo of himself as a teenager on Instagram, he poked fun at his look and captioned it, “Reminding everyone there are better days ahead